Brussels, 24/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry, EUROCHAMBRES, are to join forces to address skills shortages and mismatches, the two organisations announced at a joint conference on 20 November.
To tackle the mismatch between the skills companies are seeking and those offered by potential employees, the CoR will provide political support to EUROCHAMBRES' pilot projects on skills forecasting at regional level, starting with a comprehensive survey of skills shortages and needs.
Entrepreneurship will also be supported through the two bodies' own initiatives which will be jointly promoted: EUROCHAMBRES will head up the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme and the CoR the European Entrepreneurial Regions initiative.
Together the two organisations will advocate the need for a more systematic assessment of the territorial impact of EU policies. They will also work to ensure consistent, transparent and efficient application of the so-called “SME test” which aims to analyse the effects of the Commission's legislative proposals on SMEs. Lastly, the CoR and EUROCHAMBRES will address topics such as access to finance for SMEs through reports and events. (MD)